Kuje prison warders allege Boko Haram stole N82m, $36k during attack

Inmates at the Kuje Correctional Facility in the FCT, have threatened to riot after monies belonging to them were allegedly carted away by Boko Haram insurgents that invaded the prison on Tuesday night.

Sources told Peoples Gazette that the cash had been with about five prison officials for several months, including those manning the commissary.

The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not instructed to comment on internal prison matters.

The prison was attacked around 10pm on Tuesday, July 5, by suspected Boko Haram insurgents who freed their colleagues in arms, according to minister of defence, Bashir Magashi.

President Muhammadu Buhari visited the facility hours after the breach and inspected the damage while assuring the prison authorities of support.

However, after Buhari left, some inmates began raising alarm that they’d lost money during the attack, while others vowed to unleash violence if the officials fail to return their cash.

According to Peoples Gazette, a prison source said the monies belonged to wealthy inmates in the facility.

“One prison guard told 13 inmates this afternoon that all the money they kept with him had been stolen. He bluntly told them that the N26 million is no longer in his possession.”

“Yes, that is the problem we’re confronting now. Some people lost money in naira while some lost in dollars

“It’s those big men that are more enraged because they kept millions with the warders. About N82 million was declared missing and four people are looking for $36,000.

“We don’t know what the prison management will do about the matter because the money was not kept with the warders officially,” the source said.